In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, as the flood waters receded from New Orleans, they took with them any sense of normalcy the city had before the storm. The monster 2005 hurricane wrecked levee systems, flooded entire neighborhoods, damaged homes and businesses and hit residents like a wrecking ball.

Ten years after Katrina made landfall in Louisiana on Aug. 29, 2005, some parts of New Orleans have bounced back and look practically unscathed. However, many residents whose lives were overturned by the storm haven't forgotten the floods that brought New Orleans to its breaking point.

Along with images and news footage, the things that have stuck in the country's collective memory are what people were saying at the time. Words carried great weight as the nation's leaders, the public and even celebrities tried to make sense of the utter devastation that was New Orleans in the wake of Katrina.

Here's a look back at the Hurricane Katrina disaster through the words our leaders, rescue officials and eyewitnesses used.